ENEMIES OP BEES. 233 



activity. If they have a queen, they will generally 

 keep the worms from making further inroads upon 

 them. The great majority of hives of bees that arc 

 eaten up or destroyed by the worms, as is generally 

 supposed, is either from the loss of the queen, and 

 consequently the disorganization of the colony, or 

 else the bees have become discouraged from lack of 

 provisions, starvation staring them in the face. In 

 either case, they will permit the worms to work 

 away unmolested, until they will finally take pos- 

 session of the entire hive. Yet it is simply the 

 effect of another cause, and not the cause itself, al- 

 though generally blamed on the worms. High, cold 

 winds arising suddenly when bees are abroad, destroy 

 large quantities of them. Birds also catch and de- 

 vour some ; toads, mice and rats destroy a portion, 

 and spiders spread their nets to annoy and catch them. 



IRRITABILITY OF BEES. 



Bees should be kept a little retired from the walks 

 frequented by persons or beasts of any kind, as they 

 sometimes become annoying. The scent of a person 

 perspiring freely is very offensive to them. It is also 

 dangerous to bring a horse wet with sweat very near 

 to bees in warm weather, as it annoys them exceed- 

 ingly, and there is great danger of the horse being- 

 stung to death. The season of their greatest irrita- 

 bility is July and August, when the weather is 

 warmest and they have plenty of honey to guard. 



If the directions given in the chapters on conquer- 

 ing bees and protection against being stung, are 

 20* 



